Meter cover

ABSTRACT

The present application provides a removable cover that is easily placed and secured onto a corresponding frame. The cover includes a protrusion receptacle and a protrusion cutout each located at different positions along the perimeter of the cover. The cover further includes a locking assembly, such as a worm gear assembly, that extends through cover to lock the cover to the frame. The cover also has a plurality of alignment indicators that are aligned with the protrusion receptacle and the protrusion cutout to assist an operator in securing the cover to the frame.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/550,141 filed Aug. 25, 2017, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a cover, and more particularly to a meter box cover.

BACKGROUND

Removable covers are used to cover a meter box to keep unauthorized persons and materials out of a public utility access, such as for water, gas, and electric industries. Certain meter box covers are attached to a conventional frame assembly known as a Clark frame. Various removable covers that are designed for Clark frames attach and secure to the Clark frame by using a hook that is locked into the Clark frame by a minor movement such as a quarter turn of the hook. Such removable covers utilizing a hook have a tendency to dislodge easily due to the small movement required to disengage the hook from the frame.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present application provides a removable cover that is easily placed and secured onto a corresponding frame. The cover includes a protrusion receptacle and a protrusion cutout each located at different positions on the circumference of the cover. The cover further includes a locking assembly, such as a worm gear assembly, that extends through the protrusion cutout to lock the cover to the frame. The cover also has a plurality of alignment indicators that are aligned with the protrusion receptacle and the protrusion cutout to assist an operator in securing the cover to the frame.

The foregoing and other features of the application are described below with reference to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary conventional Clark frame.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of an exemplary cover.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-section view of the protrusion receptacle of an exemplary cover, taken along line A-A.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an exemplary cover including a worm gear assembly.

FIG. 5 is a side view of an exemplary cover.

FIG. 6 is a top view of an exemplary cover.

FIG. 7 is an underside view of a worm gear assembly of an exemplary cover secured to the Clark frame.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The principles of the present application relate to a cover for engaging with a frame to cover an opening, such as a meter box cover for covering a meter box, for example of a water, gas, or electrical utility system and thus will be described below in this context. It will be appreciated that the principles of the application may be applicable to other covers, such as manhole covers, electrical box covers, gas covers, television covers, steam covers, etc.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a conventional Clark frame is illustrated. The Clark frame includes a body 16 defining an opening 18. Protruding into the opening is a protrusion 22, and approximately one hundred eighty degrees from the protrusion 22 is a locking protrusion 20. The locking protrusion 20 includes a toothed portion 24 and a protrusion portion 26 adjacent the toothed portion 24. The toothed portion 24 is configured to receive a hook belonging to a conventional Clark cover.

Turning now to FIGS. 2-6, an exemplary meter box cover 30, such as a water meter box cover is illustrated. The cover 30 can be made of any suitable material, such as a corrosion resistant polymer that allows for the transmission of wireless signals to pass through the cover. As shown in FIG. 2, the bottom surface of the meter box cover 30 includes a protrusion receptacle 32 for receiving the protrusion 22, a locking protrusion cutout 34 sized to surround the locking protrusion 20, and a locking assembly aperture 36. The bottom surface of the meter box cover 30 can also include one or more retainer brackets for installation of other technology such as an antenna and/or one or more posts to allow for attachment of the retainer bracket.

The protrusion receptacle 32 is located proximate to the perimeter of the meter box cover 30 and is sized appropriately to receive the protrusion 22 on the frame. In certain embodiments, the protrusion receptacle can have side ends that are bent upwards to maintain the protrusion 22 inside of the protrusion receptacle 32 and prevent rotation of the meter box cover 30 when the protrusion 22 is inserted into the protrusion receptacle 32. As shown in the cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the protrusion receptacle 32 illustrated in FIG. 3, the protrusion receptacle 32 includes a hooked end 38 that creates a pocket 40 with a size and shape for receiving the protrusion 22.

The locking protrusion cutout 34 is a recess located on the underside of the meter box cover 30, proximate to the perimeter of the meter box cover 30, and approximately one hundred eighty degrees from the protrusion receptacle 32. The locking protrusion cutout 34 includes a toothed portion cutout 42 shaped to receive the toothed portion 24 of the locking protrusion 20, and a protrusion portion cutout 44 shaped to receive the protrusion portion 26 of the locking protrusion 20.

The locking assembly aperture 36 is located adjacent to the locking protrusion cutout 34, and within a locking assembly recess 46. The locking assembly recess 46 can be recessed less than the locking protrusion cutout 34 such that the locking protrusion cutout 34 is deeper than the locking assembly recess 46, forming a ledge at the intersection of the locking assembly recess 46 and the locking protrusion cutout 34. The locking assembly aperture 36 extends through the underside of the meter box cover 30 and through the topside of the meter box cover 30.

Turning now to FIGS. 4-6, the meter box cover 30 can also include a locking assembly 48 such as the illustrated worm gear assembly that is rotatable to engage the protrusion portion 26 of the locking protrusion 20 to provide a secure connection between the meter cover 30 and the frame. The locking assembly 48 can extend through the locking assembly aperture 36. The locking assembly 48 can include a threaded portion 50, otherwise referred to as a worm gear, that extends downward from the bottom surface of the cover 30 and a turning portion 52 accessible from the top surface of the cover 30. In order for the threaded portion 50 of the locking assembly 48 to align with the protrusion portion 26 while avoiding engagement with the toothed portion 24, the locking assembly aperture 36 and the locking assembly 48 can be offset by an offset angle 54 from the one hundred eighty degree location across from the protrusion receptacle. In certain embodiments, the offset angle 54 can be between fifteen and twenty degrees, for example, seventeen degrees.

The cover 30 further includes a top surface 56. The top surface 56 of the cover 30 may have any suitable finish, such as a textured finish over some or all of the surface to provide for increased traction, and may additionally include areas for indicia, for example an area 58 identifying the usage of the cover 30, such as water meter. The top surface 56 of the meter box cover includes a plurality of alignment markers, such as a first set of alignment markers 60 indicating the position of the protrusion receptacle 32 and a second set of alignment markers 62 indicating the position of the locking protrusion cutout 34. The alignment markers 60 and 62 can be angled toward one another and provide a visual indictor to an installer to help align the meter cover in the proper position. The alignment markers 60, 62 are shown as indentations in the top surface 56 of the cover 30, although it should be appreciated that the alignment markers 60, 62 may be any suitable indicator, such as a line, a geometric shape, a raised portion, etc.

Referring again to FIGS. 1-6, to install the cover 30 over a meter box frame, the cover 30 is positioned such that the protrusion receptacle 32 is aligned with the protrusion 22. The first set of alignment markers 60 can assist an installer in aligning the protrusion receptacle 32 with the protrusion 22. The protrusion receptacle end of the cover 30 can then be pushed into the frame such that the protrusion 22 is inserted into the protrusion receptacle 32. After the protrusion 22 is inserted into the protrusion receptacle 32, the lid 30 may be lowered into place, assisted by the alignment markers 62, on top of the rest of the frame body 16 such that the locking protrusion 20 nests inside of the locking protrusion cutout 34. To secure the cover 30 to the frame, locking assembly 48 can be tightened so that the threaded portion 50 engages with the protrusion portion 26 of the locking protrusion 20 as illustrated in FIG. 7. When the threaded portion 50 engages with the protrusion portion 26 of the locking protrusion 20, the locking assembly 48 provides a clamping force between the threaded portion 50 and the protrusion portion 26, which secures the cover 30 in place on the frame body 16. Locking assembly 48 can be tightened by using the turning portion 52. Turning portion 52 can be any type of screw head such as a pentagon head, a Phillips head, a flathead, a star-shaped slot, among others. The locking assembly 48 includes enough threads on the threaded portion 50 that small turns of the locking assembly 48 do not disengage the threaded portion 50 from the protrusion portion.

To remove the cover 30 from the frame body 16, the locking assembly 48 can be loosened using the turning portion 52. The locking assembly 48 can include enough threads that a one-quarter turn does not completely loosen the locking assembly 48 from the frame. Once the locking assembly 48 is loosened, the locking protrusion cutout end of the cover 30 can be lifted from the frame body 16 and the cover 30 can be pulled away from the frame body 16 in a direction away from the protrusion 22 so that the protrusion 22 slides out of the protrusion receptacle 32.

Although certain embodiments have been shown and described, it is understood that equivalents and modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims will occur to others who are skilled in the art upon the reading and understanding of this specification. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cover comprising: a body having a top surface and a bottom surface; a protrusion receptacle located proximate to a perimeter of the body and extending downwards from the bottom surface, the protrusion receptacle forming a pocket; and a locking protrusion cutout located proximate to the perimeter of the body and recessed into the bottom surface, the locking protrusion cutout comprising a protrusion portion cutout and a toothed portion cutout; and a locking assembly aperture located adjacent to the locking protrusion cutout and extending through the body from the bottom surface and the top surface.
 2. The cover of claim 1, further comprising a locking assembly extending through the locking assembly aperture.
 3. The cover of claim 2, wherein the locking assembly is a worm gear assembly.
 4. The cover of claim 3, wherein the worm gear assembly comprises a threaded portion that extends downward below the bottom surface, and a turning portion accessible from the top surface of the cover.
 5. The cover of claim 4, wherein the threaded portion overlaps at least a portion of the locking protrusion cutout.
 6. The cover of claim 5, wherein the threaded portion overlaps at least a portion of the protrusion portion cutout.
 7. The cover of claim 1, wherein the locking protrusion cutout is located one hundred eighty degrees from the protrusion receptacle.
 8. The cover of claim 1, further including a locking assembly recess recessed into the bottom surface, wherein the locking assembly aperture is located within the locking assembly recess.
 9. The cover of claim 8, wherein the locking assembly recess is recessed less than the locking protrusion cutout such that the locking protrusion cutout is deeper than the locking assembly recess.
 10. The cover of claim 9, wherein the locking assembly recess intersects with the locking protrusion cutout to form a ledge.
 11. The cover of claim 1, wherein the locking assembly aperture is offset by an offset angle from a location one hundred eighty degrees across from the protrusion receptacle.
 12. The cover of claim 11, wherein the offset angle is between fifteen and twenty degrees.
 13. The cover of claim 12, wherein the offset angle is seventeen degrees.
 14. The cover of claim 1, wherein the protrusion receptacle includes side ends that are bent upwards.
 15. The cover of claim 1, wherein the top surface comprises a first set of alignment markers for indicating a position of the protrusion receptacle, and a second set of alignment markers for indicating a position of the locking protrusion cutout.
 16. A cover comprising: a body including a bottom surface and a top surface; a protrusion receptacle located proximate to a perimeter of the body and extending downwards from the bottom surface; a locking protrusion cutout located proximate to the perimeter of the body and recessed into the bottom surface; and a first set of alignment markers on the top surface for indicating a position of the protrusion receptacle; and a second set of alignment markers on the top surface for indicating a position of the locking protrusion cutout.
 17. The cover of claim 16, wherein the first set of alignment markers and the second set of alignment markers are indentations in the top surface of the body.
 18. The cover of claim 16, wherein the protrusion receptacle forms a pocket to retain a protrusion of a frame within the receptacle.
 19. The cover of claim 16, wherein the first set of alignment markers and the second set of alignment markers are each angled toward one another.
 20. A cover comprising: a body including a bottom surface and a top surface; a protrusion receptacle located proximate to a perimeter of the body and extending downwards from the bottom surface, the protrusion receptacle forming a pocket; a locking protrusion cutout located proximate to the perimeter of the body and recessed into the bottom surface, the locking protrusion cutout comprising a protrusion portion cutout and a toothed portion cutout; a first set of alignment markers on the top surface for indicating the position of the protrusion receptacle; and a second set of alignment markers on the top surface for indicating the position of the locking protrusion cutout; a locking assembly aperture located adjacent to the locking protrusion cutout and extending through the bottom surface and the top surface; and a worm gear assembly extending through the locking assembly aperture, the worm gear assembly comprising a threaded portion that extends downward from the bottom surface and overlaps at least a portion of the protrusion portion cutout, and a turning portion accessible from the top surface of the cover. 